The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-11
MRS. JAS. BROWN PorTER's HOME.
The Reason Why She Failed on Her
First Appearance.

LONDON, June 29-The home in London of
Mrs James Brown Potter--or as she habit
ually signs herself, Cora Urquhart Potter
is i'll Stafford Terrace, an outrageous street
i'll the old Court suburb of kensington,
whereat Queen Victoria was born. An air
of secluded refinement distinguishes the
locality, and the very spirit of peace and
tranquility seems to be brooding over the
widespreading tree-tops and vernal
exuberance which hereabout abound.
But for a woman who has entered
upon the dramatic life there is no
such thing as peace. Let her live
where she may, the eXigencies of the pro
fession she has chosen require of her an
amount of physical exertion which no one
would credit who has not had a glimpse
behind the scenes Of the players existence.
Calling by appointment Oh Mrs. Potter the
other afternoon | was greeted with hearty
welcome by her mother, who begged me to
excuse her daughters not being able to see
me, as she was thoroughly tired out and was
lying down to rest a bit before proceeding
to a night rehearsal. Night and day an
actress must be on her feet, and the worst
of it is, as poor Adelaide Nelson used TO say
to me, when at length the performance Is
over, and after midnight the player is free
w hlGtp, Lilt SWtcb ItSLDIGT Will llOD NlSlU
throbbing and excited brain, and additional
fatigue is incurred by the restless tossing of
the heroine of the mimic tragedy, or comic
complication, until the very peep o. day.
Mrs. Brown Potters mother is one of the
prettiest of petite old ladies, with an
elderly edition of La Potters beautiful
mouth, and n warm Southern manner,
such as is often seen among wellbred women
south of Mason and Dixons line. Her wavy
hafNs - fb.,.
has it becomingly coitfed in the prevailing
mode. She was gowned in a black dress OF
Softest china Grape and wore few we'll
chosen ornaments. She attributes her
daughters failing to strike the note of
popular success in her initial appearance
entirely to the lack of suitability of the
part Undoubtedly Mrs Potter, both in
America and in England, has habtually
frequented the most elegant society, and
her role in MAN and Wife" was that of
that most neutral and characterless of
dependents, the English governess We
have in America no exact counterpart of
this unfortunate bread winner, this wage
Garner, who must be at once a lady and not
a lady, and who is acknowledgements under
exceptional circumstances, when there is
personal affection between employees
and employed-no consideration in the
drawing room and no respect In
governess is a living representative of
Mahomets coffin, hanging midway between
the heaven of high life and the other thing
of low. 1t was inability to strike this
neutral note which--or so Mrs Urquhart
thinlSs-causcd the dissatisfaction of the
critics. The accomplished Coquelin has
shown us, i'll his recent writings, that only
artists of the greatest power know how to
be tonight the poor hunchback, tomorrow
the handsome duke; this week the valiant
soldier and anon the arrant knave Long
practice only will enable the delicate
American, Cora Urquhart Potter, to repre-
sent with equal fidelity to nature the ab1ect
dependent and the naughty dame; the
prosecuted innocent and the pitiless Borgia.
But she is young and comely. Time and
the hour are in her favor.
OLIVE LOGAN.